Pickup Truck Bed Shelter System

ABSTRACT

A pickup truck bed shelter system includes a pickup truck having a bed including a pair of lateral walls. Each of the lateral walls has an upper edge has a well extending therein. A frame releasably engages the lateral walls such that the frame extends upwardly from the bed. The frame includes a transverse beam vertically spaced from and extending across an opening of the bed. A pair of arms each is attached to the transverse beams. A housing is mounted on the transverse beam and a canopy is positioned in the housing. The canopy is extendable from the housing and has an outer end releasably couplable to the arms adjacent to free ends of the arms. The canopy is retracted into the housing when the canopy is released from the arms.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to vehicle canopy devices and more particularlypertains to a new vehicle canopy device for providing shelter adjacentto a pickup truck.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a pickup truck having a bed including a pair oflateral walls. Each of the lateral walls has an upper edge has a wellextending therein. A frame releasably engages the lateral walls suchthat the frame extends upwardly from the bed. The frame includes atransverse beam vertically spaced from and extending across an openingof the bed. A pair of arms each is attached to the transverse beams. Ahousing is mounted on the transverse beam and a canopy is positioned inthe housing. The canopy is extendable from the housing and has an outerend releasably couplable to the arms adjacent to free ends of the arms.The canopy is retracted into the housing when the canopy is releasedfrom the arms.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a pickup truck bed shelter systemaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective in-use view of an embodiment of thedisclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through6 thereof, a new vehicle canopy device embodying the principles andconcepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated bythe reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the pickup truck bed sheltersystem 10 generally comprises a generally conventional pickup truck 12that has a bed 14 including a pair of lateral walls 16. Each of thelateral walls 16 has an upper edge 18 having a well 20 extendingtherein. The system 10, typically, is used with the pickup truck 12 toprovide shading or cover adjacent to and extending away from a rear ofthe pickup truck 12 as is shown in FIG. 3.

A frame 22 releasably engages the lateral walls 16 such that the frame22 extends upwardly from the bed 14. The frame 22 includes a transversebeam 24 vertically spaced from and extending across an opening of thebed 14. The frame 22 includes a pair of legs 26 each having a bottom end28 and a top end 30. The transverse beam 24 is attached to and extendsbetween the top ends 30. A pair of plates 32 is provided and each of thebottom ends 28 is attached to one of the plates 32. The plates 32 areoriented perpendicular to the legs 26 and each of the plates 32 extendsforward of an associated one of the legs 26. More particularly, theplates 32 extend in a same direction with respect to each other and awayfrom the legs 26, such that the plates 32 have longitudinal axisoriented parallel to each other. Further, when the plates 32 are in ahorizontal plane the legs 26 are in a vertically oriented plane. Each ofthe plates 32 has a distal end 34 with respect to the legs 26. A pair ofposts 36 is provided and each of the plates 32 has one of the posts 36attached thereto. The posts 36 are positioned adjacent to an associatedone of the distal ends 34 and each extends downwardly from the plates32. Each of the posts 36 is positionable in one of the wells 20 suchthat the legs 26 are vertically oriented.

A pair of arms 38 is provided. Each of the arms 38 is attached to thetransverse beam 24, however, the term “attached” herein for the purposeof the arms 38 may include simply mounted thereon for reasons explainedbelow. The arms 38 are spaced from each other such that each of the arms38 is positioned adjacent to one of a pair of opposed ends of thetransverse beam 24. Each of the arms 38 has a break 40 therein such thatan inner portion 42 and an outer portion 44 of each arm 38 is defined.The inner 42 and outer 44 portions are hingedly coupled together suchthat each arm 38 is positionable in a stored position folded against thetransverse beam 24 or in a deployed position extending rearward of thepickup truck 12. The break 40 is positioned near the transverse beam 24and no more than 12.0 inches from the transverse beam 24. Each of thearms 38 has a free end 46. A housing 48 is mounted on the transversebeam 24 as is shown in FIG. 1.

However, the housing 48 may be incorporated into the transverse beam 24or be removably mounted to the transverse beam 24. Thus, the arms 38 maybe intimately attached to the housing 48, as opposed to the transversebeam 24, and thereby attached to the transverse beam 24 by way of thehousing 48 being mounted on the transverse beam 24. The ability toremove the housing 48 and arms 38 from the transverse beam 24 may bebeneficial for allowing alternate uses for the transverse beam 24 or forsafety when the pickup truck 12 is being moved.

A canopy 50, of flexible material, is positioned in the housing 48 andis extendable outwardly from the housing 48. The canopy 50 has an outerend 52 releasably couplable to the arms 38 adjacent to the free ends 46.This may be achieved, for example, with a rod 54 being attached to theouter end 52 of the canopy 50 wherein ends of the rod 54 are removablyseated in saddles 56 formed in the free ends 46. The canopy 50 isretracted into the housing 48 when the canopy 50 is released from thearms. This may be accomplished in any conventional way well known in thearts of retractable shades utilizing coil springs for biasing a spindlein a first direction. The canopy 50 may comprise an opaque or partiallyopaque material to shade a person under the canopy 50 and may also bewater impermeable to provide for cover from rain. The arms 38 and canopy50 extend from the transverse beam 24 a distance of generally between3.0 feet and 6.0 feet.

In use, the posts 36 are placed in the wells 20 such that the plates 32rest upon the upper edges 18 of the lateral walls 16. In this positionthe arms 38 will positioned in a horizontally oriented plane as long asthe plates 32 are also horizontally oriented. The canopy 50 is pulledfrom the housing 38 and attached to the free ends 46 of the arms 38 sothat it provides a covering extending rearward from the pickup truck 12.The legs 26 each have a height greater than 2.0 feet and it should beunderstood that while the system is generally in use adjacent to thepickup truck tailgate to extend the canopy 50 over a ground surface, thecanopy 50 may be reversed such that it extends primarily over the bed14.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

1. A vehicle awning system comprising: a pickup truck having a bedincluding a pair of lateral walls, each of said lateral walls having anupper edge having a well extending therein; a frame releasably engagingsaid lateral walls such that said frame extends upwardly from the bed,said frame including a transverse beam vertically spaced from andextending across an opening of the bed, wherein said frame includes apair of posts, each of said posts being positionable in one of saidwells such that said transverse beam is positioned above and verticallyspaced from said bed, a pair of legs each having a bottom end and a topend, said transverse beam being attached to and extending between saidtop ends, a pair of plates, each of said bottom ends being attached toone of said plates, each of said plates being oriented perpendicular tosaid legs, each of said plates being elongated and extending forward ofan associated one of said legs, each of said plates having a distal endwith respect to said legs, and each of said plates having one of saidposts attached thereto, said posts being positioned adjacent to anassociated one of said distal ends and extending downwardly from saidplates, each of said posts being positionable in one of said wells suchthat said legs are vertically oriented and horizontally offset from saidwells; a pair of arms each being attached to said transverse beam; ahousing being mounted on said transverse beam; and a canopy beingpositioned in said housing, said canopy being extendable from saidhousing, said canopy having an outer end releasably couplable to saidarms adjacent to free ends of said arms, said canopy being retractedinto said housing when said canopy is released from said arms. 2.(canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. The vehicle awning system according to claim1, wherein said arms are spaced from each other such that each of saidarms is positioned adjacent to one of a pair of opposed ends of saidtransverse beam, each of said arms being positionable in a storedposition folded against said transverse beam or in a deployed positionextending rearward of said pickup truck.
 5. A vehicle awning systemcomprising: a pickup truck having a bed including a pair of lateralwalls, each of said lateral walls having an upper edge having a wellextending therein; a frame releasably engaging said lateral walls suchthat said frame extends upwardly from the bed, said frame including atransverse beam vertically spaced from and extending across an openingof the bed, said frame including: a pair of legs each having a bottomend and a top end, said transverse beam being attached to and extendingbetween said top ends; a pair of plates, each of said bottom ends beingattached to one of said plates, each of said plates being orientedperpendicular to said legs, each of said plates being elongated andextending forward of an associated one of said legs, each of said plateshaving a distal end with respect to said legs; a pair of posts, each ofsaid plates having one of said posts attached thereto, said posts beingpositioned adjacent to an associated one of said distal ends andextending downwardly from said plates, each of said posts beingpositionable in one of said wells such that said legs are verticallyoriented and positioned horizontally offset from said wells; a pair ofarms, each of said arms being attached to said transverse beam, saidarms being spaced from each other such that each of said arms ispositioned adjacent to one of a pair of opposed ends of said transversebeam, each of said arms being positionable in a stored position foldedagainst said transverse beam or in a deployed position extendingrearward of said pickup truck, each of said arms having a free end; ahousing being mounted on said transverse beam; and a canopy beingpositioned in said housing, said canopy being extendable from saidhousing, said canopy having an outer end releasably couplable to saidarms adjacent to said free ends, said canopy being retracted into saidhousing when said canopy is released from said arms.